Blood and Oak

By: Garrett Bettencourt

Narrated by: Travis Baldree

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1798, the Barbary Pirates stole his freedom. Now, John Sullivan wants blood.

Growing up on his father's ship was an adventure for young John. His world crumbled the day the Barbary Pirates took him away in chains, along with his mother and sister. Five years later, after a daring escape to America, John is eager to join the USS Philadelphia and meet the corsairs with steel.

Then, one stormy night, a stranger brings word: His sister, Kaitlin, is alive. John must risk everything on a bold plan to sail to the Barbary Coast. To defy the odds and free his family, he'll need his skill with a blade, his leadership in battle, and his wits at sea. In his path - cutthroat smugglers, ruthless pirates, and a deadly foe bent on destruction.

Yet in John Sullivan's heart, the fires of revenge blaze ever hotter, threatening to burn those he loves. In his bid to save the lost, he may find his most dangerous enemy lies within....

©2018 Garrett Bettencourt (P)2018 Garrett Bettencourt

Wow What an Adventure!

What an entertaining story!
From beginning to end I enjoyed it.
Action and adventure, intrigue, revenge, all sorts of fun going on.

If you're looking for action, suspense, adventure, danger, all of the above? Look no further, this is a fun ride.

Loved the writing and the narration was awesome.
Recommended :)

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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Wonderful Tale

It has been a long while since I have read - or in this case - listened to a tale of action, adventure, love, and honor of such a scope. I could just imagine a very young Errol Flynn in the lead role and that made it all the better. The author is deft with his storytelling as he moves between time and place. This is no mean feat considering the amazing cast of characters he has assembled. I had no problem following the story nor determining who was speaking during scenes where there were more than two characters. Excellent descriptive passages that brought the time period to life. Bettencourt is equally at home with his male and female characters - another huge plus. There are some wonderful surprises with the female characters. I won't give them away but it made me smile because I like nothing more than a surprise and creativity that makes sense.

The only thing that kept this from a perfect score is the length of the work. Epic it is, but I would prefer that it be broken up. Personal taste and nothing more. Loved the narrator. I think he did a great job with the accents and the pacing.

Needless to say, I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a rich, swashbuckling tale.

This story has everything!

In Blood and Oak, Bettencourt's vivid writing confidently balances a compelling cast of characters with well paced action that never misses a beat - by the final chapter, the only thing you'll be looking for is the next book. The story is fast, focused and original. It's also clearly rooted in solid historical research that's woven into the details of the wide, rich world through which John Sullivan, Melisande Dufort and others adventure. The only thing that may be better than reading a good book is listening to one, especially with a narrator like Baldree. Other reviewers have mentioned the possibility of sequels. I'm really hoping this is the first in a series, that Bettencourt and Baldree team up again, and that there's much more of John Sullivan and his adventures to come.

A Tale of Pirates and Revenge

Please note that no points were deducted for the murder of accents throughout the recording, as I have finally made my piece with such savagery.

So, I liked it. It was a fun story of revenge on a bunch of murderous pirates by by a lovable Irish rogue. John Sullivan and his family were captured by Barbary pirates when he was just five years old, and sold into slavery. John escaped, making his way to the US, where he spent his days seeking revenge and saving whichever of his family still breathes. A fortuitous card game gets him some much-needed sponds, and his adventure begins, although it certainly doesn't go smoothly.

John and his crew are a likeable bunch, and the narrator does a good job of passing this off, while there are some jerks trying to stop him, equally made obvious. The narrator also knocks out a baudy shanty or two, which made me chuckle heartily. The author does try to insert some big topics into the story which, while certainly worthy, get a little lost in the shuffle and seem a bit out of place. Perhaps they even make the novel a little longer than necessary.

Good fun though, worth a listen or a read, and come close to a solid 3.5 stars, but not quite.

Adventure at Sea!

In 1798 people took their lives into their own hands when sailing the Barbary Coast. John Sullivan and his family are sailing his father’s boat only to be boarded by pirates. The pirates slaughter some including John’s older brother and enslave his sister, mother, father and himself. His family split apart John finds the opportunity to escape to the America’s where he plots the rescue of his family. Several years later with the Navy and their USS Philadelphia and his questionable friends behind him, he maneuvers his way back to the Barnaby Coast to rescue his family and defeat the pirate “silver hand.” Several surprises that keep you on the edge of your seat!

John is a young idealistic man who does not realize that the family he lost to the pirates that day will never be the same even if he can find them. While I don’t think he has realized the inevitable change, he is beginning to grasp it a little bit.

Action packed, this audiobook takes the reader down a rocky and twisting road. The characters are intrinsically built on a strong foundation, their dialogs and actions are realistic as well. One can see the world created by Barrett Bettencourt down to the last detail, one can almost smell the salt water! His descriptions are vivid and rich in detail but do not bog down the story.

Bettencourt keeps the historical aspect of the story flowing with accuracy and interesting detail that any reader can follow. I am not a huge pirate fan but found myself lost in the characters and details of the story. Friendships and family, as well as honor, play a huge part in this action-packed story. I can honestly say I am looking forward to the next book in this series. This is a very well written book that captures the listener’s imagination.

The narrator, Travis Baldree performed the audiobook in a solidly giving voices to the characters that fit their personality and gave them their unique identity. Baldree spoke clearly and with authority throughout the book, owning each and every character and incident. I found his narration to not only be pleasant, but it also kept me invested in the book.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook. It was a pleasure to hear! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys an epic adventure, historical accuracy, and a great narrator!

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.
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Warning -- It's only book one...

I loved this book. It's full of adventure and interesting characters and feels like watching a great swashbuckling adventure movie!

And then it suddenly ended. What? The story's not over!

I hate when books leave you on cliffhangers. I hate not being told before I start a book that it's not a full story. So I'm warning you all so you'll be prepared.

The narrator is good, though his accents are a little over the top.

I got this book for free, but they're going to get my money for the next one. I can't just stop not knowing what happens!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Epic!

An adventure you won't soon forget! excellent writing and story.

This is my first audible by author and narrator. they work very well together.

The narrator read this audible in a way that puts you right in the story getting to know the characters and feel for them

I was provided a free copy of this audible and I'm thrilled to be able to provide my review

Captivating Experience of Romance and Pirates

I must say this book has exceeded my expectations and kept me entertained through its course. I can not wait for the 2nd release of this series.

Swashbuckling adventure

Blood and Oak. A top class adventure story. Lots of action and a comprehensive backstory for the characters.
This is at the top of the genre in quality of writing.
Travis Baldtree does excellent narration of this book - all of the characters accents are believable and distinct. And the narration makes a 13 book very easy to listen too.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my own request, and voluntarily leave this review.

Swashbuckling goodness...

This book is really far afield from my usual tastes... I really don't know how long it's been since I've read any straight up historical fiction... but Travis Baldree narrated it, and he had me hooked as soon as I listened to the audio  snippet!
Blood & Oak has all the swashbuckling goodness that I fell in love with as a child, and it fit right in with the romantic tales of the high seas, books by Rafael Sabatini's, like Captain Blood and Scaramouche, and then brought to life on the screen by the likes of Errol Flynn, or Stewart Granger! Well, Travis Baldree is sorta like my Errol Flynn, bringing life to all the wonderful characters and world building that was envisioned in Garrett Bettencourt's fantastic tale...
I gotta say that I'm generally rather angry at an ending that leaves the reader looking down a cliff face, but in this case the cliffhanger is so well done, so perfect that I had to be the first one in the metaphorical  audience to jump up clapping, and shouting "Bravo" like a deranged maniac! 😍🤩

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review...
          
         Story and narration: 5 Big Freakin' ⭐'s